Process and apparatus for sanitizing glassware



June 8, 1943, G. A. MENGLE 2,321,152

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR SANITIZING GLASSWARE Filed May 7, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Zf/V/V ,4. MFA/612i' ATT N ,il

Il IIIIIIIIIIIIlllllllllllllll l June 8, 1943. A, MENGLE 2,321,152

PRocEss AND APPARATUS FOR s ANITIzINWG GLAsswARE Filed may '1, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 R MM A. wm ,A

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Patented June 8, 1943 UNHTED STATES PROCESS AND APPARATUS FR SANTIZENG GLASSWARE Glenn A. Mengle, Brockway, Pa., assigner to Brockway Glass Company, Inc., Brockway, Pa.

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of bottles and similar containers and has particular reference to a novel mode of manufacture 'and preparationfor use whereby the con- 1 tainers are sanitized and may be substantially free from bacteria when they reach the ultimate consumer.

In the conventional manufacture of glass containers, such as medicine bottles intended to be filled by druggists or pharmacists for example, the bottles are formed in molds at hig'h temperatures and are thereafter subjected to a heat treatment ina normalizing or annealing lehr, for the purpose o removing strains in the glass that have resulted from the forming operation. Before leaving the lehr the bottles are cooled b-y air to temperatures at which bacteria may exist, and after leaving the lehr the bottles may be exposed to air containing bacteria. The bottle caps, which may be similarly exposed, ordinarily are loosely applied by hand to the bottles, and the ,v

of 1lingso that, particularly if the bottle be lled under a bactericidal u1tra-violet lamp, the ultimate consumer-Will be assured of a product substantially free from contamination from the bottle.

According to the invention, air introduced into or entering the heat treating lehr, at points therein where the ltemperatures are sufficiently low that bacteria can survive, is bactericidally treated by exposure to ultra-Violet light rays. The bottles, cooled by the treated air, upon leaving the lehr pass through a zone subjected to bactericidal ultra-violet rays and in this zone they are tightly capped, the caps also having received a bactericidal treatment, which may be eiected by exposure to a bactericidal ultra-violet lamp, so that the containers are sealed in a sanitized condition, in which they will remain until uncapped by the druggist just prior to lling. Y

The invention contemplates that the subsequent uncapping, lling and recapping of the bottles, as for example by the druggist in the case of a medicine bottle, be performed under a bactericidal ultra-violet lamp,

so that bacteria in the atmosphere that contacts the opened bottle and cap will be eliminated.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the apparatus and method involved, typical apparatus being illustrated in the'accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the discharge end of the lehr provided with the bactericidal lamps;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. l.;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken approximately along line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a cap treating apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a section taken along line 5-5 4; and

Fig. 6 is a section, on a larger scale, taken along line 5 6 of Fig. 4.

As shown in the drawings the lehr ll mounted upon supports l2, has extending therethrough and thereunder an endless conveyer belt i3. The belt extends over a plurality of rollers 20, and adjacent the discharge end of the lehrthe belt constitutes a table Hl. Thebelt passes Yaround er Fie.

y a rotating drum I5 disposed adjacent the end of the table and also around a similar drum adjacent the other end of the lehr, being supported under the lehr on rollers I6. One of the drums may be rotated by suitable drive means (in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1) so that bottles placed on the belt at the entry or heated end of the lehr will be carried through the latter and will be brought onto the table I4 from which they may be removed byv operators and placed in suitable boxes or cartons for shipment to a packer or user.

Upon entering the lehrV upon the conveyer belt i3 the bottles are subjected to an elevated temperature, in the'neighborhood of 1100 F., and while passing through the lehr the temperature of the bottles is reduced, at a controlled rate, the temperature as they pass from the lehr Il to the table. Il@ ranging from room temperature to approximately 50 F. thereabove.

In some types of lehrs, as for example the type illustrated, air for cooling the bottles in the discharge end of the lehr is forced thereinto through a conduit Il and inlet I8 by a blower i9 operated by a suitable motor 2 l, the lehr being substantially closed on its top, sides and bottom. Exhaust air may leave the lehr through ues 22, controlled by dampers 23, into the atmosphere or into exhaust. air conduitv 21%.

As the bottles, now cooled, are carried from the lamp housing 44 containing lamps 45 provided with transformers 43, the housing having a lateral extension 41 extending over the table 29 and containing lamp 43. The housing 44, including extension 41, has inclined side shades 49 so arranged as not to interfere with direct rays from the lamp falling on all portions of the table I4 between and including the inner surfaces of the air tends to fiow outwardly from the lehr through I the bottle discharge opening, discouraging the ingress of air at this point.

On the sides of the table I4, on which the bottles 21 are capped, are stationary side walls 28, and adjacent these walls may be disposed a table 29 for supporting a container 3l of bottle caps 32, within convenient reach of a person standing at the station indicated at 33 beside a wall 28 for placing the caps upon the zbottles,

prior to the latters being packed in suitable shipping containers or cartons by one or more operators at'the station indicated by numeral 34.v These shipping containers or cartons may be delivered to station 34 by a chute 35.

According to the present invention, the air inlet 36 of the blower ISis connected by a conduit r31 to a housing r38,0ne end of which is provided with an air filter 39 for removing dust and other foreign matter from the air entering theV blower. Extending across the housing, in the path of air flowing therethrough, are a plurality of bactericidal lamps 4 I. These lamps, and

also those described hereinafter and indicated by numerals 42, 45, v48, 66 and 61, may be of the mercury vapor type designed for producing ultraviolet light and comprising transparent tubes filled with inert gases and mercury vapor with electrodes at their opposite ends, and operating by Yan electrical discharge between the electrodes. The lamps employed preferably generate a large quantity of light of the wave length which has been found. to be bactericidal, falling within vtheultra-violet portion of the spectrum between .approximately 2000 and 2950 ngstrom units. rLamps satisfactoryforthis purpose are now on Y...the market, having eiective lengths of from f 1141/2" to 341/2",` having operating voltages of from 275 to 475 volts at approximately .030 to .050 ampere. VA suitable transformer may be provided i. foreach lamp, or for each group of lamps, this apparatus and the electrical connections therefor being inaccordance with conventional practice in the art of mercury vapor lamps.

side walls 28, and between the forward portion of the shroud 25 and the line, indicated by numeral 5I, representing the position on the table behind which the capping of bottles is completed. These shades 49 are formed of ordinary silica glass which affords the persons performing the capping operation unobstructed vision of the table and the bottles thereon, while the eyes of the operator are protected from the direct ultra-violet rays from the lamps and 48.

From the foregoing it will be understood that in practicing the process of the present invention, the prescription ware or other bottles, after being molded, are placed upon the belt I3 at the entry side of the annealing lehr, and are carried through the latter by movement of the belt.' In the event the bottles are not sufficiently hot for annealing, at temperatures of approximately 900 to 1100" F. when they enter the lehr, they are, while in the latter, heated to such temperature, approximately 1100 F., induced in practice by vcombustion of gas, or oil, or by electricity, for

removing from them strains resulting from the vmolding operations, and the bottles are then tion of the lehr are substantially sterile.

'matter removed by passage through the lter 39, and is sanitized by the bactericidal action of the Alamps 4I in the housing 33. In this manner air borne bacteria are removedY from the cooling air and cannot contaminate the bottles which have vbeen sterilized by the heat treatment.

Likewise, Vsmall quantities of air which may enterV the lehr, counter to the pressure main- In Fig. 2, the lamp housing 38 shown is prounit being of sufficient capacity to bactericidally treat the air introduced into both lehrs for coolingV purposes.

f vided with a connection to a second conduit 31, v adapted to extend to another lehr, the single lamp tained therein, entering around or beneath the shroud 25, by admixture of outside air with air in the lehr, are sanitized by the action of lamps 42.

When the bottles leave the lehr they immediately enter the zone beneath the sanitizing lamps 45, and before passing from this zone, in which the air contacting the bottles is subjected to the bactericidal action of the lamps 45, the caps 32 are rmly screwed or otherwise applied to the bottles by one or more operators at lehr, on the upper wall thereof adjacent the:

opening, lamps 42, having fassociated therewith i `suitable'electrical transformers 43. In lehrs such .as those wherein no blower is provided, wherein the cooling airenters throughair intake openings, similarlamps Vare placed adjacent such -openings to bactericidally treat the entering air.

Above the portion of table lIII adjacent the stastation 33. Thus when the bottles passontothe vextreme end portion of table I4 at which they are placed in shipping cartons by one or more persons at station 34, they are completely capped with their interior surfaces in a sanitized condition.

tion'33 and suspended from the chute 35 is a'75 During the capping operation, the caps may be removed from container 3I and placed on the bottles, the caps all this time being in the zone beneath and which is subjected to the influence of rays from the lamps 48 'and45, so that all air contacting the caps has been'sanitized. In the drawings the lamp housing 44 has extension 41 to only one side of the tablev I4, but it will be understood that the arrangement y may be duplicated to overlie a table 29 on the opposite side of the ltable for supporting caps within convenient reach of an operator stationed there.

While the invention is conveniently practiced in connection with the usual heat treating lehr, it will be understood that sanitizing of the glassware may be accomplished subsequently thereto by heating it in another chamber in which the air temperature is sufficiently high so that bac- 53 onto a continuous conveyer belt 54. The belt operates over rollers 55 and 55, the latter of which is driven from a power unit by a drive belt 55. Intermediately of the rollers the lower portion of the belt is supported by rollers 59 f mounted in a suitable framework, 6l, the upper reach of the belt being supported on a flat bed E?. that extends along the underside of the belt.

Supported on the framework 6I and extending around the belt 54 is a tubular housing 63 including a front wall 64 that is preferably hinged along its upper edge as indicated at 65. The housing 63 including the front wall thereof is lined with metallic foil '50 having-good light reflective properties. above the upper reach of the belt are a plurality of lamps 55 arranged in tandem, for directing bactericidal ultra-violet rays onto the caps traveling therebeneath on the belt. \The caps are disposed on the belt by the separator with their open ends uppermost, and they receive not only the direct rays from the lamps, but also rays from the lamps reflected by the metallic foil lining of the housing.

The bactericidally treated caps pass from the housing B3 and drop into a container 3l disposed beneath the roller 55. Above the container 3l and arranged so that its rays will fall upon the container and also upon the adjacent uncovered upper end portion of the belt 54 is a sanitizing lamp 61. The latter is mounted in a housing 68 supported by suitable hangers BB and preferably having a light reflective inner surface for directing downwardly all of the rays from the lamp, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5. According to the invention the container 3l, if exposed to untreated air, is sanitized by having an ultra-violet lamp inserted and operated therein, before sanitized caps are entered.

In operation it will be understood that the bottle caps, and particularly the interiors and the outer side walls thereof, will be sanitized by the action of rays from the lamps E6 as the caps pass thereunder upon the traveling belt 5d, and that upon dropping into the container 3| the caps are protected from contamination by air borne bacteria by reason of the bactericidal action of rays from the lamp 61 upon air in the zone adjacent the container 3l. When the container 3l has been filled to the desired degree with caps 32, it may Mounted in the housing f be covered with a suitably sanitized closure and be carried to the table 2,9 adjacent the bottle capping station 33.

It will be understood that if desired, the cap sanitizing apparatus shown in Figs. 4 toy 6 inclusive may be disposed adjacent the lehr, instead Yof remote therefrom as in the embodiment herein specifically illustrated, so as to deliver the sanitized caps directly to the zone beneath the lamps 45 or 48, thereby dispensing with need for transporting the container 3l.

When a bottle sanitized as herein described is placed into use, the invention contemplates that the caps be removed under an ultra-violet bactericidal lamp, and that ywhile under such lamp and in an atmosphere protected by ultraviolet rays, the bottle, or other container, be filled or packed and recapped. In the caseof a medicine bottle, such a lamp may be disposed upon the druggists prescription counter adjacent the place of lling so that the bacteria in the atmosphere contacting the bottle and cap, while opened, will be destroyed.

It will be understood further that the apparatus and method herein shown and described is merely illustrative of the preferred embodiments of the inventive principles involved, and

that these principles may be otherwise embodied without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Y What is claimed is:

1. In the processing and capping of glass bottles, the steps of subjecting the bottles in an annealing lehr to a temperature of approximately 1000 F., of lowering the temperature of the bottles to below F. in said lehr by exposing them to a cooling atmosphere, of bactericidally treating with ultra-violet light the atmosphere which contacts the bottles when their temperature is below approximately 180 F., of removing the bottles from the lehr directly into an atmosphere treated bactericidally with ultra-violet light, and of capping said bottles in said atmosphere.

2. In the processing and capping of glass bottles, the steps of subjecting the bottles in a lehr to a temperature above the degree at which bacteria can survive, of lowering vthe temperature below said degree by exposing the bottles in said lehr to an atmosphere of lower temperature, of Y bactericidally treating with light rays the zone of said atmosphere which contacts the bottles when their temperature is below said degree, and of capping said bottles while they are in said bactericidally treated zone.

3. In the processing of glass bottles, the steps of subjecting the bottles in an annealing lehr to a temperature of approximately 1000 F., of lowering the temperature of the bottles in the lehr to within approximately 50 F. of room temperature by contact with the atmosphere in said lehr, Y

and of bactericidally treating with light rays the portion of said atmosphere which contacts said bottles when the temperature thereof is below the temperature at which bacteria can survive.

4. In the processing` of glass bottles, the steps of passing the bottles through an annealing lehr, of heating the bottles in the entrance end of the lehr to a high temperature, of allowing the bottles to cool in the lehr, the cooling of the bottles to a temperature below approximately 180 F. being effected in the discharge end of the lehr, of introducing air into said discharge end of the lehr to effect the cooling of bottles therein, and of treating said air with-bactericidal light rays before its introduction into the lehr.

5. In the processing and capping of glass bottles, the-steps of passing the bottles through an annealing lehr,--of heating the bottles in the entrance end of'the lehr to a, high temperature, of allowing the bottles to vcool inthe lehr, the cooling of the bottles to a temperature below the maximum at which bacteria can survive being effected `in the discharge end of the lehr, of introducing air into said discharge end of the lehr to eiect the cooling of bottles therein, of treating said air with bactericidal light rays before its introduction into the lehr, of removing the bottles from the lehrdirectly into a zone-of atmosphere subjected to bactericidal light rays, and of closing the bottles with sanitized caps before removing them from said zone.

6. In-the processing and capping of glass bottles, the steps of passing the bottles through an annealing lehr, of heating the bottles in the entrance vend of the lehr to a high temperature, of allowing the bottles to cool in the lehr, the cooling of the bottles to a temperature below the maximum at which bacteria can survive being eiected in the discharge end of the lehr, of introducing air into said discharge end of the lehr to effect the cooling of bottles therein, of treating said air with bactericidal light rays before its introduction into the lehr, of removing the bottles from the lehr directly into a zone of atmosphere subjected to vbactericidal light rays, of treating caps for the bottles to bactericidal light rays, and of applying thetreated caps to the bottles before removing the latter from said zone of atmosphere subjected to the bactericidal light rays.

7. Apparatus for treating bottles and the like, comprising an annealing lehr having means for Yconveying bottles therethrough, a bottle capping table adjacent the bottle discharge opening of the lehr for receiving bottles that have .been conveyed therethrough, means for introducing air into the discharge end of the lehr for cooling bottles therein, this air introducing means including 1 tericidal light rays'in the lehr adjacentv the vbot- -tle discharge opening, andmeans adjacent -said capping table for treating with bactericidal light rays the atmosphere surrounding bottles from the momentbf their discharge from the lehr until their removal from said capping table.

8. In apparatus for treating bottles and like glassware, a chamber having means for conveying the ware therethrough, means adjacentthe entrance end portion of the chamber for heating said Ware to a temperature at which bacteria cannot survive, means for admitting air to the opposite end portion of the chamber for cooling said Ware to a temperature at which bacteria cansurvive, and means for subjecting said air to bactericidal light rays to eliminate living bacteria from said air. and prevent contamination of the Ware thereby.

9. In apparatus for treating bottles and like glassware, an annealing lehr having means for conveying the ware therethrough, the ware being discharged through a discharge opening in one end of the lehr, and means comprising lamps for generating light of bactericidal Wave length mounted in the lehr adjacent said opening for treating air entering the lehr therethrough.

10. In the processing and lling of glass containers, the steps of subjecting the containers to a temperature above the degree at which bacteriacan survive; of lowering the temperature vbelow said degree by exposing the containers to an atmosphere of loWer temperature; of bactericidally treating With light rays the zone of said atmosphere which contacts the containers when their temperature is below said degree; of capping said containers while they are in said bactericidally treated zone; and of uncapping, filling and recappingysaid containers under a bactericidal ultra-violet lamp.

GLENN A. MENGLE. 

